The Tribune

MORE than 400 guests turned out at the Bahamian Icon Awards at Atlantis on Saturday evening to see standouts in areas ranging from education, sports and fine arts bestowed with the honour of being named an icon.

The event, now in its second year, is the brainchild of founder and executive producer Addis Huyler.

He told The Tribune that it is an emotional experience to see his idea mushroom into an event that has been quickly and widely embraced by Bahamians.

“It’s very humbling experience to consider that something that was a random idea two short years ago has evolved into an idea that so many people have grabbed onto. The most important thing, that we can do as human beings is validate the truth of who we are and that’s what the Bahamian Icon Awards is all about.”

The event recognised high achievement in 11 categories: Education, Humanitarianism, Journalism, Sports, Commerce, Tourism, Health, Fine Art, Music, Entertainment and Entrepreneurship.

Former Olympian and sailing legend Sir Durward Knowles was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony. Sir Durward won the country’s first Olympic gold medal at the 1964 games.

For Mr Huyler, who is also an athlete, this was the highlight of the show.

“There were so many highlights, but for me the highest moment was when Sir Durward Knowles accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award,” he said. “It was a personal experience for me because I too was an Olympic athlete and the doors he opened as an Olympian, I was able to walk through those doors.

“To have someone whose contributions have meant that much to who we are as a people, to have someone who has made such immense contribution to the Bahamas, was one of the highlights of the evening and of my life.”

Mr Huyler said he was happy that several winners came from Family Islands.

“We always tried very hard to make sure that this award was viewed as a national award, it was not Nassau centric.”

The Bahamian Icon Awards received over 300 submissions for nominees this year.

On the heels of the success of Saturday’s event, organisers are already brainstorming for next year.

“I started thinking about next year before this event was even done,” Mr Huyler said. “It was an incredible daunting task – now our team has to start sitting around the table and flesh out how this year went (and figure out next year) in a real and tangible way.

“I’m excited about this work and invigorated and would like to see us be able to continue this platform to recognise outstanding Bahamians and that has to happen with the immense involvement with corporate Bahamas.”

Dr Sandra Dean Patterson of The Crisis Centre won in the area of Humanitarianism; Candia Dames, managing editor of The Nassau Guardian, won in the area of journalism; Chris Brown, Olympic athlete, won in the Sports category and Kishan Munroe, creator of the Swan Song of The Flamingo, won for Fine Art.

Other winners included: Felix Stubbs, of IBM, Commerce; Errol Thurston, of Errol Thurston Bahamas in Abaco, Tourism; Olivia Curry, of Childhood Asthma Management Project in Grand Bahama, Health; Julien ‘Believe’ Thompson, creator of The Caribbean Slide, Music; Lavado Stubbs, of Conch Boy Films, Entertainment; Captain Randy Butler of Sky Bahamas, Entrepreneurship and Arnold Martin, of Sir Jack Hayward High School in Grand Bahama, Education.